We invite you to use the resources on this page to help navigate the process of placenta donation. Thank you for your support of placenta donors and those whose quality of life is enhanced through donation.
Pathway to Placenta Donation
(click on the graphic below to explore the Placenta Donation Process)
L&D Educator Resources
Quick Sheet
Review the specifics of your unit’s placenta donation process with staff or display the Quick Sheet on your unit for staff to reference as needed.
Placenta Donation Program Introduction Video
Introduce new staff to the basics of the placenta donation process with this 3-minute video.
Plan Education for Staff
Our Placenta Donation Development Coordinators are available to meet with you, educate new staff or present to your entire team. You can book a time with your coordinator by clicking a link below.
L&D FAQs
What do I do if Lifeline of Ohio isn’t here, and my patient is delivering now?
- Lifeline of Ohio isn’t always able to be on-site at the time of each
patient’s delivery. Our Placenta Acquisition Coordinator will come to the hospital on the day of delivery to acquire the placenta. - Please draw additional blood from this patient as usual. In the OR, keep the placenta sterile and place it in the provided basin. The basin and blood tubes should be labeled with the patient’s information and placed in the designated refrigerator. If your unit does not have a refrigerator, you can place the basin on wet ice.
What do I do if a planned placenta donor is delivering earlier than their scheduled C-section date?
- Call Lifeline of Ohio at 877-223-6667 to let us know, and we will assign a staff member to acquire the placenta. In the meantime, follow the steps for a placenta donor (draw blood, place the placenta in a sterile basin).
What additional blood should I draw for a planned placenta donor?
- Hospital staff should draw blood for planned placenta donors at the same time as the admissions blood draw. Lifeline of Ohio has provided blood tube kits to the hospital for this purpose. The blood tubes included in our kit are two tiger top tubes, one red top tube and one purple top tube.
- If blood was not able to be drawn upon admission, please call 877-223-6667 to let us know. We will ask you to draw blood for this patient at the next possible opportunity in order to complete the donation.
What do I do if I can’t find any Placenta Donation Blood Tube kits?
- Please call us at 877-223-6667 to let us know.
- If a placenta donation blood tube kit cannot be located at the hospital, you may use unexpired hospital blood tubes (2 tigers, 1 red, 1 purple) to draw, and we will replace those tubes upon arriving to acquire the placenta.
- Or, the Placenta Acquisition Coordinator will bring additional blood tube kits to the hospital when they come to acquire the placenta, and additional blood can be drawn for the patient at that time.
How do I store the placenta in a sterile manner?
- In the OR, keep the placenta sterile and place it in a sterile basin.
- Lifeline of Ohio has provided sterile basins for this purpose. If one of our sterile basins isn’t available, another sterile basin from the hospital can be used instead.
- Place a lid on the sterile basin, label the basin with the patient’s information, and place the basin in refrigeration or on wet ice. The blood can also be placed in refrigeration with the placenta.
Why is the Placenta Acquisition Coordinator asking for baby data?
- The patient has signed a consent form giving Lifeline of Ohio access to both her and baby’s medical records. A copy of this consent will be provided to you.
- The baby data is an important factor in determining the health of the placenta, and only includes basic information such as birth weight and APGAR scores.
OBGYN FAQs
Which patients are eligible for placenta donation? What are the criteria for donation?
- Any mom who is delivering by scheduled C-section at a participating hospital is eligible to donate.
- After a patient consents to donation, Lifeline of Ohio screens each case individually to ensure the patient’s placenta will be able to be used for transplant without introducing a potential risk to the graft recipient.
- We encourage you to give every interested patient the opportunity to donate, since each patient’s history is individually reviewed and there are very few criteria resulting in an immediate rule out.
How can I make a referral?
- You can refer any patient interested in placenta donation by calling 877-223-6667, emailing placentadonation@lifelineofohio.org, or completing our HIPAA secure online referral form.
What happens after the referral is submitted?
- We will reach out to the patient to confirm their interest and answer any questions they may have about the donation process. Then, we will complete an informed consent form with the patient over the phone on a recorded line.
- We will also complete a medical social history questionnaire with the patient within 2 weeks of their delivery date – this is a series of screening questions similar to the questions that are asked when a person donates blood.
Is placenta donation related to cord blood banking or donation?
- No, placenta donation is not related to cord blood banking or donation. Lifeline of Ohio is not involved with cord blood banking or donation. However, moms who decide to donate their placentas can also donate or bank cord blood if they wish.
Is there a cost to moms to donate their placenta?
- No, there is no cost at all to the patient.
Will placenta donation interfere with a patient’s medical care?
- No, the delivering physician can perform the C-section normally. After the baby is safely delivered, the placenta will be kept sterile and placed in a sterile basin until it can be acquired by the Lifeline of Ohio Placenta Acquisition Coordinator.
- If there is a medical concern and the physician would like to hold the placenta for pathology, Lifeline of Ohio will step aside to allow the medical care to continue in the best interest of the patient.
Why do you need access to a patient’s medical records?
- Accessing the medical record is part of our screening process to ensure the safety of the placental tissue for transplantation. Permission to access medical records for mom and baby is included in the consent form, and the confidentiality of these records are maintained through the process.
- If there are medical records we are not able to retrieve from the electronic medical record system, we may send a fax request for these records to your OBGYN office. These records are essential in completing the donation process. Please respond to fax requests
for records at your earliest convenience and reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
Required Medical Records for Donation
Reviewing a patient’s medical record is part of our screening process to ensure the transplanted placenta tissue is safe for graft recipients. Permission to access medical records for mom and baby is included in the consent form. If our coordinators aren’t able to access these records through the electronic medical record, they may ask for L&D staff to print records for them, or they may request records from the OBGYN office.
Here are the records that are required in every case:
- Prenatal Records – all prenatal visit notes from current pregnancy
- Prenatal Serologies/ STI tests – HIV, Hep B, Syphilis (RPR/Treponema Pallidum), Gonorrhea (GC), Chlamydia (CT)
- History and Physical note from the day of delivery (or other physical exam performed day of delivery or within 14 days prior)
- Most recent PAP result
- Delivery summary or OP report
- Baby’s weight and APGAR scores
These additional records may be needed, if applicable:
- Prenatal testing results for Group B Strep and Hep C – if tests were performed
- Genetic Screening – if tests were performed
- MAR or I/O – if fluids were given before a serology draw
- Salpingectomy report – if tubal ligation performed
- LEEP/Colposcopy reports – if the patient has a history of HPV or abnormal pap results
Meet the Placenta Donation Program Team
Outreach and Communication Resources
Program Introduction Video
Please feel free to share this video on your social media sites, website and any TV monitors in your waiting areas.
Program Launch - Social Media Template
Logos and Graphics
Donate Life Month
Observed in April each year, National Donate Life Month helps raise awareness about donation, encourages Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and honors those who have saved lives through the gift of donation.
Healthcare facilities plan a variety of activities to commemorate this month, including: flag raisings, Donor Memorial Quilt displays, information tables and more. Our team can work with you to plan the best activities for your staff and guests.
Additional Resources
About Lifeline of Ohio
Donation Legalities and Compliance with Federal Regulations
Uniformed Anatomical Gift Act (1968)
The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA or the Act) was passed in the U.S. in 1968 and has since been revised in 1987 and in 2006. The Act sets a regulatory framework for the donation of organs, tissues, and other human body parts in the U.S. The UAGA helps regulate body donations to science, medicine, and education.
Regulatory Agencies
As a licensed tissue bank, Lifeline of Ohio operates in accordance with the Association for Advancing Tissue and Biologics (AATB) standards and is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Additionally, the processing and distribution of placental allografts are regulated by the AATB and the FDA to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.